DIY Embroidered Blazer
This DIY embroidered blazer was created with a Jones New York blazer that I thrifted from Talize and some great embroidered iron on patches I picked up while in Hong Kong.
If you are interested in creating something like this of your own Etsy has loads of embroidered patches.
You simply position the patches where you’d like them on the blazer and then iron them on with a very hot iron using a pillow case or sheet on top. I also ironed on the reverse side of this to make sure the patches stuck well. It is dead easy and took about fifteen minutes.
It is highly likely that this blazer will be showing up in my Etsy shop in a couple of weeks.
I love it but I find I just don’t wear blazers as often as I used to.
This is me trying to get creative like Melanie for my photos. #FAIL
She makes it look so damn easy.
As soon as I sat down like this my pug thought it was time to cuddle and wanted up on my lap right away. White pug hair and black jeans do not mix.
I read this week that people are more likely to engage with you if you have a photo of yourself smiling.
Do you believe that to be true?
I find that may be true if the smile is authentic. If that person is on Instagram every day with the same massive smile smeared across their face I’m apt to think that no one’s life is that fantastic and they are the super hero of fakity-fake-fake. Then I get turned off. Maybe that’s just me? Maybe I’m too cynical?
Here is an authentic smile.
No fakity-fake-fake here. She knows treats are imminent.
This is my kind of DIY!
Quick, easy, and (relatively) goof proof.
Although, I would be in danger of singeing something… probably my fingers! :oP
I love Zoe’s real smile, that’s the kind of face I engage with, gorgeous girl!
XXX
Samantha
You are definitely too cynical—ha ha!! I always like it when people smile—but you can totally tell a real smile from a fake one—that’s the difference!
I love my blazers—and DIY is something I always think I want to do—however, I end up being too lazy to do it!
You’ll have to give me a shout out when and if this goes on sale—(like I need another blazer…but….)
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I usually have a mix of smiling and not smiling on my blog. Just because you aren’t smiling doesn’t mean that you are angry and cynical though- you might just be thoughtful, or serious, or just not care what other people are thinking of you 😉
I love the embroidery- it adds such a great touch to this blazer.
-Nicole
Well, clearly it’s difficult for anyone to compete with the sincere, genuine and fuzzy smile of our girl Zoe! Fake smiles are NEVER appealing. I think it’s all “in the eyes” and so detectable when not the real thing.
This DIY reminds me of the one you inspired me to do when I glued a patch on a “pleather” bomber jacket I purchased at a consignment shop. Easy peasy and so satisfying!
I like your “Mel inspired” floor pose but of course Zoe doesn’t miss a snuggle op!! With 2 Springer Spaniels I feel your “shed hair pain” Suzanne!!
Just do what you do best, Suzanne, be yourself, you’re always unique. xx
What a creative idea. It adds the perfect accent. And that dog smile!
You had me at “DIY!”
Hannah | The Outfit Repeater
That looks like something even I can do (until I try it, that is) 😉 I’d rather people do not smile and just look natural than fakity-fake smilers, that’s for sure. Doesn’t Zoë have a gorgeous smile, though? Nothing fake about that, even if she knows it will get her treats! xxx
How clever, patches have come a long way!! I just like seeing you however you’re feeling, smiles or moody-arty are both fine x
Nobody smiles better than Zoe – she’s such a schtar. And your jacket = amazing look. xox
-patti
That’s a brilliant idea, Suzanne! I must look at some embroidered motifs immediately – no sewing involved? Even better!
Zoe Pug has an amazing smile.
Have a great week.
bisous
That’s a brilliant bit of DIY, that jacket looks so much more interesting now. I know a trader who customises military surplus jumpsuits with crazy patches and they look brilliant. i keep meaning to trawl eBay for some to play around with.
Like Porcelina says it’s good to see you whatever the facial expression. I can’t be doing with pseudo sexy pouts or poses that try too hard, that’s probably why Instagram doesn’t interest me. Too fake.
Zoe on the other hand is the real deal! xxx
You did an excellent job with the stick in embroidery. Looks really good.
And yes Zoe’s smile is very genuine. I have to smile on my blog photos as I look positively angry and gloomy if I don’t. I tried. Having a real human being behind the camera helps a lot to smile genuinely. Loved your Melanie pose ?.
Greetje
Love this DIY; it is easy and the embroidery looks so high end as does the jacket, you always choose so well! I like photos where one is in motion. I have trouble getting them for myself, as i list my photographer friend, and if I move the short becomes blurry. A good camera would fix this.
I too Like your Melanie inspired “mood” pose, Ah. Zoe take the cake!
xx, Elle
http://www.theellediaries.com/blog/
Oooh, yes, I love that farking action with the patches there. Just an iron? That’s something I can handle, like frozen corn or peas. Your Melified pose is excellent! Just put something off-putting on your lap, like toothpaste. I know cats don’t like toothpaste. Not sure if pugs don’t like it.
Fakity-fake-fake smiles, yesh. I start out with them and I feel so absolutely stupid doing them, especially to a tripod, that I end up with the real deal. I’ve heard that smiling draws people in but I’ve also heard that style bloggers shouldn’t do it – they should be more modelish. Pffft. We do want we want, when we want.
Superb jacket. I want to see more weird poses!!
I love it when you add patches to things. This is the kind of DIY I feel confident to do! So, be on the lookout for some upcoming Designs Inspired by Suzanne at Petite Over 40! (I still have to do it, so it may be a while. You know how I am.)
Smiles, no smiles — I like smiles but I also like no smiles. The no-smiles usually make me look at the outfit more closely whereas the smiles make me warm to the person and wonder about them as a human being.
There are fakity-fake-fake smiles out there but I figure they’re doing their best, they’re being their creative selves in the same way that I’m doing my best. You could look at my blog and see things that come across as fake, or trying-too-hard, or downright uninteresting. I struggle with that all the time. As you mentioned above, posing a certain way or doing this camera thing is not as easy as it looks.
As women, it’s drilled in us from a young age to look at other women and judge their intentions, their motives, or whatever. It tears us apart and makes us less strong as a whole. Maybe it’s more beneficial to all of us to have mercy and grace toward other women and their desires to express themselves, their willingness to be vulnerable by putting themselves out there, even if it comes off as fake. It’s not easy–I struggle with it myself. But, as long as their fakeness isn’t disguising meanness, maybe a fake smile is all they can do.
These are great questions. I will aim toward a Zoe kind of smile because, really, pug smiles are The Best.
Hugs,
Sherry
Yes, with a pug smile you know it is coming from the heart.
I think this is more about Instagramers than bloggers. There are certain ones that always have the same outrageous facial expressions time in and time out…day after day after day. They always look like they just won the lottery and my thought is, if you just won the lottery you don’t need IG! Ha ha!
Instagram in general is so affected.
In reality this is also related to when guys will suggest to a woman, “Why don’t you smile? You look prettier when you smile.” So maybe this is a bit of the feminist coming out in me.
As a woman I don’t always smile and I don’t think anyone should have to if they don’t feel like it.
Of course you are right. I judge too much. It’s a bad habit I learned from Seinfeld. Or my family I can’t remember. It’s a hard habit to break.
Also I’ve already been told that using the signature “bisous” when I sign my name is affected. No one knows why other people do stuff. I happened to have owned a company called Bisous for many years and I began signing my name that way to help people remember me. Yes it happens to be French and it happens to mean “kisses”…so what?
I need to remember that other people will have their reasons for choosing to do what they do.
You are a good influence on me Sherry!